Raúl Jiménez started Mexico’s World Cup opener on June 11 at Estadio Azteca after surviving a near-fatal skull fracture sustained in November 2020. The injury had left questions about both his playing career and his life.
The fracture occurred during a Premier League match for Wolverhampton Wanderers when Jiménez clashed heads with Arsenal defender David Luiz. Teammates and staff recalled hearing the impact; former Wolves coach Nuno Espírito Santo said in a club documentary that the collision prompted a frantic “code red” response.
Jiménez was rushed to hospital with a fractured skull and some bleeding inside the brain that doctors said was pushing his brain inward. He told The Guardian it felt “like [a] miracle” that he survived. He spent 10 days in hospital, struggled with basic movements early on and spent more than six months sidelined before returning to play in summer 2021 wearing a cushioned headband he would continue to use.
Up close, Jiménez bears a visible scar running from his right temple to his ear. While chatting with media ahead of the World Cup, he said he had imagined starting, scoring and lifting the trophy, and that those ambitions had guided his return to international play.
Jiménez has a longstanding link to the Azteca. He began his career with Club América at the stadium, scored his first professional goal there and won his first Liga MX title with the club. With Mexico co-hosting the tournament, he spoke of working toward what would be his first World Cup goal at the venue; he has been involved in four separate editions of the tournament since his first call-up 12 years ago.
The 35-year-old is among the elder statesmen in Mexico’s roster, younger than 40-year-old goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa. After the World Cup he will rejoin Wolves on a two-year contract with an option for a third. His club career has included spells at Benfica, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Fulham, and he was once close to signing with Atlético Madrid.
